Glucose monitoring systems generally include a sensor such as an analyte sensor for detecting analyte levels such as glucose levels, a transmitter (such as an RF transmitter) in communication with the sensor and configured to receive the sensor signals and to transmit them to a corresponding receiver unit by for example, using RF data transmission protocol. At least a portion of the sensor is inserted through the skin of the patient so as to be in fluid contact with the patient's analyte. The receiver may be operatively coupled to a glucose monitor that performs glucose related calculations and data analysis.
The transmitter may be mounted or adhered to the skin of a patient and also in signal communication with the sensor, at least a portion of which may be inserted in the patient. Generally, the sensor is configured to detect and measure the glucose levels of the patient over a predetermined period of time, and the transmitter is configured to transmit the signals related to the analyte (e.g., current signal) over the predetermined period of time for further analysis. To initially set up the sensor so that the sensor contacts and electrodes are in fluid contact with the patient's analyte fluids, it is important to properly insert the sensor through the patient's skin and securely retain the sensor during the time that the sensor is configured to detect analyte levels.
When the sensor is pierced through the skin of the patient with, for example, an introducer to properly position the sensor to be in fluid contact with the patient, the sensor insertion site on the patient's skin will typically bleed. The amount of blood that would be drawn as a result of the sensor insertion using the sharp introducer depends at least upon the insertion site. For example, if the insertion site of the sensor is near capillary vessels or other blood vessels, it is likely that more blood will be drawn out of the insertion site at the time of the sensor insertion process. On the other hand, if the sensor insertion site is located in an area of the patient's skin that has less capillary vessels or other blood vessels, it is likely that less blood will result in response to the piercing process of the skin with the sensor introducer.
Given that the analyte sensor location will be positioned at the insertion site, and the likelihood of blood pooling at the insertion site due to the disturbance of the tissues and the blood vessels by the sharp introducer, it is important to ensure that the drawn-out blood does not have significant impact upon the sensor functions including the sensor signals generated by the sensor (for example, using the various electrodes of an electrochemical analyte sensor), so that the detected signals accurately reflect the patient's analyte level.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus which would allow for minimizing the amount of blood pooling at or near the insertion site of the analyte sensor. It would also be desirable to have a device or method to draw the blood away from the insertion site of the skin so that it may help facilitate the healing process of the skin wound resulting from the piercing of the skin with the sharp introducer.